The Chosen
by chibimelie
Summary: Takes place three months after Saffron. A mysterious prince kidnaps Akane (what's new?) and Ranma and the gang go to save her. But what does the prince want with Akane? And what is the prophesy of the Kuwonja Dynasty? First Fanfic, so please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

THE CHOSEN (All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Communications) ** I apologize ahead because the characters tend to become out of character a lot in this fanfic. I tried to keep them in character, but that didn't always happen. Again, I'm sorry!**  
  
*Part 1*  
  
He shook her gently, careful as not to further harm her already frail body. "Akane, please. Please wake up!"  
  
he pleaded to the girl in his arms. Her body remained lifeless, her eyes remained closed. "AKANE! AKANE!!  
  
PLEASE! WAKE UP! WAKE UP, DAMN IT!" he screamed with anguish and frustration. Immediately he regretted  
  
his words. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Akane. I didn't mean to yell at ya," he whispered hoarsely to her, barely able to  
  
contain the tears that threatened to down pour from his bloodshot eyes that had resulted from extreme exhaustion.  
  
"Please Akane, please," he continued to beg, cuddling her closer to his worn, tired body as she remained still and  
  
deathly silent in his arms. Without warning, tears began to stream down his face as they stung his eyes. He wiped them  
  
away furiously; he hadn't wanted to cry, not now. It was not his "manly pride" that wouldn't allow the tears to come;  
  
that didn't matter anymore. The tears would haze his sight of her, of her beauty he may never see again. "No." he  
  
whimpered with hopelessness through his sobs. "Don't do this to me! Wake up! Please! Hit me! Do something.  
  
Anything. anything but leave me." his voice trailed off as absolute emptiness began to fill his heart. He had been  
  
too late, and no matter how fast, how strong, or how skilled he was, none of that could save her now. none of that  
  
mattered now. He held her limp body closer as thoughts of life without her flooded his mind. "No. please." more  
  
tears ran down the tear-streaked face as he begged one last time, his will to live draining out of him with that last plea.  
  
"Akane."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Ranma sprang up into a sitting position, desperately gasping for air. His sweat-  
  
soaked hair plastered to his skin while his eyes were bloodshot with terrorizing fear apparent in them. He looked  
  
around through the deep darkness. He was in his own room, not the horrendous land of China . "It was only a  
  
nightmare. she's still alive" Ranma reassured himself as relief flooded his mind. After gaining composure, he quietly  
  
tiptoed to the bathroom. Closing the door behind him, he turned on the water and quickly washed his face in the sink.  
  
He stared into the mirror after wiping his face dry and shook his head, as if attempting to vanquish the nightmare from  
  
his mind. After pausing a moment of thought, he quietly walked to a familiar door, which proudly displayed a yellow,  
  
wooden duck. On the handcrafted duck a name had been painted in red. Her name. He silently opened the door and  
  
entered the room. Darkness of the night filled the room, interrupted only by the silver moonlight that crept into the  
  
room through the window. The small light sufficiently illuminated the feminine figure asleep in bed. Safely tucked  
  
under her blankets, she remained sound asleep as he approached the bedside. He plopped himself onto her desk chair  
  
and watched her sleep. The moonlight from the window softly accented her facial features against the shadows. She looked beautiful as she lied there asleep, unconsciously soaking in the silvery radiance of the moon. He scooted her  
  
chair closer to the bed for a better view. After a moment of adoringly gazing at her, he reached over and carefully  
  
brushed away some stray hair from her face and smiled. *Alive* he thought as he continued to watch her sleep.  
  
It had been three months since he had defeated Saffron. Three months since the horrifying wedding disaster.  
  
The thought of the wedding made Ranma frowned slightly. He sighed.  
  
If only he hadn't denied his feelings for Akane. If only he hadn't ran out on her to get nannichuan.. If  
  
only Nabiki hadn't invited so many people.  
  
Sighing again, he pushed the thought away. He had thought about all the "what if's" enough to last him a  
  
lifetime of wonder and regret. Right now, he only wanted to think about sitting beside Akane as she slept. .  
  
His smile returned as he stretched out his hand to caress her hair back. He sighed for the third time as his  
  
heart raced in his chest. At times like these, when they shared a blissfully tranquil moment, he wanted to confess the  
  
truth to her. He wanted to pour out his heart to her and announce his true feelings. But, unfortunately, these peaceful  
  
moments were usually interrupted by a spying camera, celebrating fathers, or jealous fiancées. Even without those  
  
distractions, he couldn't declare his true feelings for her. He would become nervous and shove his foot in his mouth,  
  
ruining everything. He could never properly admit how he truly felt to her. Maybe it was a fear of rejection, of hurt and  
  
emptiness. Maybe he just wasn't ready yet. It had only been three month since he'd admit his love for her to himself.  
  
The moment he held her still and deathly cold body, when his world crumbled painfully around him, when he thought  
  
he had lost her forever; it was then he had finally realized he could never live without her. Without his Akane. It  
  
probably should've occurred to him sooner, especially when he thought he had lost her to Shinnoske, and he almost  
  
did. The forgetful protector of the forest had come the closest to stealing her away. But when the little voiced rang in  
  
his heart insisting he truly cared for her, he had stubbornly ignored it. But now, thank goodness, he knew. He knew he  
  
loved her more than anything anyone could fathom. The only problem was telling her.  
  
"Soon," he whispered softly to her as he gently stroked her hair. "I'll tell you soon. I swear," he promised. He  
  
ran his hand carefully against her porcelain cheek before he reluctantly stood up to leave. *If she found me here, I'd be  
  
in the hospital for at least a week* he mentally laughed as he pictured the scene. As he approached the door, he took  
  
one last peek at Akane before closing the door behind him. Leaning against the door, looked down the hall, toward his  
  
room. Deciding against sleeping, he strolled casually down the stairs and into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of  
  
water. The light flickered on as he sat down at the table for a moment, staring uninterested at his cup. Unsatisfied with  
  
the kitchen, he walked into the living room and plopped himself down against the wall opposite of the television. After  
  
finishing off his glass of water, he peered into the darkness of the tranquil room. It seemed like one of the rare moments  
  
of peace that the room experienced since the arrival of Ranma and his father. Ranma soaked it in contentedly. Sighing,  
  
he leaned his head against the wall. Still not ready to sleep, he decided to lie out on the roof. At least there he could  
  
think or gaze at the stars. He went out through the porch and leapt onto the rooftop. Lying down facing the sky, he  
  
pillowed his head in his arms. He had spent most of his nights here since their return from China, thinking of his life --  
  
his fiancée problems, the disastrous wedding, and his relationship with Akane. Tonight, though, the only thing on his  
  
mind was the nightmare.  
  
Shortly after the failed wedding, the first of the reoccurring nightmare came. Since then, it returned to his  
  
unconscious mind nearly every night. It was the same dream with the same frightening result; he always saved her too  
  
late. The worst part of the terrifying dream was that it seemed as real as the day he defeated Saffron in China.  
  
His mind shifted to another thought. He had defeated. no . killed Saffron. He murdered a living being and  
  
he had done it without much hesitation. The thought unnerved him. * It was for Akane.* he mentally reminded  
  
himself. *For Akane.* There wasn't anything he wouldn't do to save an innocent person, but murder was another  
  
story. But he had crossed the line of life and death to save Akane. He knew, though, he wouldn't have taken it back if  
  
he could. It had been the only way he could've saved her life, so he did it. For her. Of course, his guilt overwhelmed  
  
him for a while, but he soon learned to live with the decision, especially after the reoccurring nightmare began.  
  
*Akane.* he thought, closing his eyes as a cool breeze caressed his face. She had been so still, so pale, so  
  
lifeless. He refused to believe she would die on him. She couldn't. She had to be there forever to mallet him, to yell at  
  
him when he said something stupid, and to poison him with her toxic cooking. She had to be there so he could see the  
  
smile that made his heart race harder than a heavily fought battle. But that day, she almost left him to be alone. He had  
  
nearly lost her forever. The moment the thought had crossed his mind in China while holding her lifeless body, his  
  
mind went black as an agonizing yet numb pain settled in his chest. Since the day he met Akane, he had been truly  
  
happy for the first time since he could remember, regardless of what act he tried to pull off. His life revolved around  
  
her. If she were gone, for Ranma, dying would be less torment. Ranma shivered in the chilly night. He yawned as he  
  
focused on a more pleasant thought. *Akane's alive* He jumped off the roof and padded to his room, where he flopped  
  
onto his futon and drifted into a deep sleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

**This is slightly revised at the end. somehow part of the story went missing when I posted the story. sorry! The future chapters will make more sense with the revision! Btw ~*..* means thinking . and anonymous reviewers are now permitted! Thanx Gohansfav1 for letting me know that anonymous reviewers couldn't review. I didn't even realize that option was "on". thanx and enjoy!  
  
*Part 2*  
"Ranma! We're going to be late again!" yelled Akane as she slipped on her shoes. "Honestly, you'd think we'd be early for once. After all, he's had almost two years to adjust!" she muttered under her breath, quickly glancing at her watch. She sighed with impatience. her mind screamed as she scanned the room. Irritated, her fists curled up into a ball until abruptly, a loud crash echoed from the living room. *THUD*  
  
"POPS! Leave me alone already! You ate my radish yesterday! I hafta get to school!" Suddenly, Ranma appeared from the room and rapidly ran toward the very annoyed and surprised Akane. "Com'on, Akane!" he blurted out as he seized her wrist and yanked her out of the house. "See ya, Pops!" he yelled behind him. Halfway to school, Akane's anger finally caught up with her as she felt the painful strain on her wrist.  
  
"Ranma! RANMA!!! WAIT!!" Ranma skidded to a stop and turned to Akane, looking at her with blank confusion. Akane jerked her hand out of his grasp and rubbed the reddened area gently as she angrily glared at him.  
  
"What were you trying to do, wrench my arm out?" she accused in a low tone. Surprised by the absence of her usual mallet or fist-in-face routine, he laughed nervously.  
  
"Sorry, Akane. 'Guess I was in too much of a hurry to get away from Pops." Akane's anger quickly vanished by the shock of the apology. After a few moments of looking at her companion blankly, her face melted into a warm, understanding smile.  
  
"It's okay. I guess I was just taken by surprise when we flew out of the house," Akane forgave him. Ranma watched the sunlight shine on his fiancee's face, glittering tenderly on her stunning smile as his heart began to race harder and harder by the second. He finally snapped back into reality when he felt like his chest would burst open from his pumping heart.  
  
"We. uh. we'd better get to school," he finally manage to verbalize.  
  
"Yeah," Akane agreed, still smiling. She wasn't quite used to Ranma's change from "big-macho martial artist" to "Akane's close friend and companion", but she was enjoying it very much. They strolled quietly for a moment, side by side, something else Akane needed to adjust to, but enjoyed. Ranma broke the still silence.  
  
"Race ya!" he challenged as he made a head start, sprinting off.  
  
"HEY! No fair!" Akane laughed as she dashed after him.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Besides the daily routine of sending Kuno to greet the clouds, the school day went by fairly uneventful. The fact that Ranma had refused to talk to neither Ukyo nor Shampoo since the disastrous wedding contributed to much of the peacefulness the two teenagers had been experiencing lately. Although it hurt Ranma to ignore them, he couldn't forgive them for their attempt to hurt Akane. He had nearly lost her once at Jusenkyo, and their pursuit to harm her angered him enough to consider their actions unforgivable. Besides, due to their success in postponing the wedding, Ranma and Akane's relationship had become virtually non-existent for weeks afterwards. Because of embarrassment and uncertainty that lingered torturously in their heads, they avoided each other after the incident, unable to face one another. Finally, one night, long after everyone had gone to bed, Akane had found Ranma sitting in the kitchen in the middle of the night, staring intensely into space with an expression of terror clearly written on his face. It had been the first time the nightmare that haunted often Ranma had occurred. From that night on, the two slowly managed to pick up the pieces of their shattered relationship and built it into a fragile but "healthier" relationship, each controlling their anger and thinking before speaking. Ranma had even decided to train Akane, mostly due to his fear of a Saffron and wedding incident de-ja-vu.  
  
White, cotton-ball clouds danced in the baby-blue sky as it proudly flaunted the glittering golden ball of wondrous energy. The wind gently blew over the land, playfully tossing about Akane's blue-black hair as the two young students strolled home, side-by-side. Ranma stole quick glances at Akane, admiring her beauty as she walked in deep thought. A small smile began to make its way on his lips when a sudden, stomach-twisting feeling washed over him. A warning of danger. But it was not like his usual martial arts instincts; the feeling was much worse, almost sickening. Something was going to happen. Something awful. Ranma turned his eyes back to Akane, who was enjoying the picturesque scenery. Upon realizing how peaceful the day had been, including the pleasant leisurely walk he and Akane were enjoying, he shook off the thought of danger and leaned back into his arms he had placed behind his head. The two continued in silence until they passed "Ucchan's". Ranma subconsciously glanced at the restaurant then quickly looked away. Akane had observed Ranma's quick peek as she expressed a look of concern.  
  
"Ranma," she said softly as she stopped walking. Startled by her sudden halt, Ranma turned to her blankly. Noticing her worried expression, he busted into bitter laughter.  
  
"Its nothing, Akane. Don't worry so much," he reassured her, barely biting back the word "tomboy". Frustrated, Akane shot a cold glare at her fiancée, which quickly melted back into concern.  
  
"Ranma, maybe it's time to forgive her. It's been months now and she truly seems sorry. And besides, she's your oldest fri."  
  
"No," Ranma interrupted sternly, as he turned away from Akane. No matter how much he cared for Ucchan and wanted to remain her friend, his heart refused to let go of the memory of the disastrous wedding and her partake in it. Both Ukyo and Shampoo tried to commit the unforgivable: hurt Akane.  
  
Akane began to tense up in irritated rage. "Stop being so stubborn! I know you want to be friends and I know you even ca.care for her. So put your stupid 'manly pride' aside and go talk to her!" Akane insisted, her voice unintentionally rising at Ranma.  
  
"No I said!" Ranma faced Akane again, his face hardened with anger. "I can't, and it ain't because of my 'stupid' pride. Its because. because." he drifted off, unable to verbalize the words he held in his heart he mentally finished.  
  
"Because?" Akane asked impatiently. Ranma sighed as his face softened sadly.  
  
"I can't explain it now, but can we maybe, ya know, maybe talk about this some other time? Please? I don't feel like arguing now." Akane opened her month in protest as she caught something in his eyes. It was sincere and truly pleading. She hesitated a moment.  
  
"Okay," she surrendered to the plea. With relief, Ranma sighed again. With the sickening feeling still lingering about in his mind, the last thing he wanted to think about was how he pushed his only childhood friend out of his life.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Like their school day, the evening flew by fairly unexciting. In fact, Ranma and Akane had not fought at all throughout the evening, although they came very close to a routine quarrel at one point.  
  
Akane was reviewing over a new kata Ranma had taught her the night before when she noticed he was not paying attention to her efforts. Annoyed, she stopped to face Ranma. "How am I supposed to learn if my own teacher isn't paying attention to his student?" she scolded in her usual hands-on-hips mode. Ranma, startled by the voice, snapped back into reality. The edgy feeling, which had distracted him from the lesson, got the best of him as he turned to Akane, irritated.  
  
"Well, I'd thought a tomboy like you would already know how to do this! Geez, Akane!" he retorted, immediately regretting the words, knowing it would strike a deep dent into Akane's pride. He flinched as he watched her flare up, a blue ki flowing around her. he silently cursed himself. "I'm sorry, Akane. I didn't mean to snap at ya, it's just. never mind," he finished, not willing to alarm Akane just because of a "feeling" as his facial expression became one of frustration and weariness. Akane suddenly became aware of Ranma's absence of energetic verbal abuse, which was replaced by a seemingly drained disturbance. Her blue glow of rage quickly vanished as she realized something was apparently on his mind.  
  
"Ranma? Are. are you okay? If. if you want to talk about anything, you know I. I am h.here for you," her assurance dwindled down to a low whisper with bashful embarrassment as she knelt in front of him. Ranma looked up into his fiancee's sweet, mocha-colored eyes and for an everlasting minute he was content. A small smile slowly made it way onto his lips.  
  
"I. I know," he answered softly, his heart still heavy from his edginess. "I. I just have this. bad feeling, like somethin's gonna happen or somethin." Seeing Akane's worried glint in her eyes became too much for him. "It's probably nothin," he quickly reassured her, smirking. "It just might be somthin' I ate," he taunted her, recalling the lunch she had made for him. Although her cooking had improved, thanks to her newly learned self-control and Kasumi's patience, Ranma still liked to tease her about it anyway, and she would always play along.  
  
"Ranma! Why you baka!" she exclaimed half yelling, half laughing as she charged at him with the new kata she had been practicing.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"She is quite beautiful, your majesty. And with her skills and ability to learn quickly, she'll make an excellent queen. I think she's the best choice out of the three," a humble voice commented to the tall figure standing in front of the mirror exhibiting an image of a familiar person. The figure stepped closer to the glass surface and gently caressed it as the person on the opposite side of the mirror slept peacefully. A low light illuminated the figure's physical features. He had a strong built, handsome face, which displayed his pride and grace, and long white hair. He appeared to be young.  
  
"Yes. She will be the One," he agreed softly as he gazed at the image with pleasure.  
  
"Shall we call in the men?" asked the servant.  
  
"No, not yet. Tell them to wait until tomorrow night. I shall prepare until then," the young man replied.  
  
"Yes, Prince Toru."  
  
"You may leave now, Miiye." Miiye, the servant, took a bow and promptly left. Toru continued to watch the sleeping figure. He had been searching three years for "the One" to fulfill the prophesy. With just over a week left to fulfill the prophesy, the prince was obliged to make a final decision on the female he believed to be "the One".  
  
He turned and gazed at the ancient scroll which humbly lied on a glistening glass table.  
  
He had search for his wife-to-be across the globe, narrowing it down to a Japanese chef, a Chinese Amazon, and her. She seemed to fit the prophesized queen's description from the ancient text. She was independent, kind, caring, and strong. But her apparent lack of martial arts skill compared to the others troubled him. He sensed she was different, special, but the lack of the fighting skills tipped the scales against her. Recently, however, through some training, her skills improved greatly in a short amount of time. Obviously, she had a hidden talent in the Arts that enabled her to pick up difficult routines quickly.  
  
*Its more than hidden talent. It's the prophetic powers that prove she is the "One"* Toru reminded himself. *And soon we shall unite and rule the universe with her prophetically released awesome powers.* He smirked as he outlined the image of her cheek with a finger before he waved away the reflection. 


	3. Chapter 3

** I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews! Keep'em coming! Like I said, it gives me motivation to keep writing! Hehe~ anyway, for anyone who did not read the revise version of chapt, its ends like this (the later chapters will make more sense knowing the info. in the revised ending!) : (*...* means thinking)  
  
"*Its more than hidden talent. It's the prophetic powers that prove she is the "One"* Toru reminded himself. *And soon we shall unite and rule the universe with her prophetically released awesome powers.* He smirked as he outlined the image of her cheek with a finger before he waved away the reflection."  
  
*Part 3*  
"Ranma! We'll be late again!" yelled Akane. Ranma came dashing around the corner and the two made their daily sprint to school.  
  
The morning dash to school continued as normal except Ranma seemed distracted from his surroundings.  
  
The feeling had worsened as it twisted torturously in the pit of his stomach, making certain its presence was known. *Its gonna happen today. Whatever it is, its gonna happen today.* The words continued to whirl around in his mind, constantly reminding him of the monstrous butterflies in his stomach. Fortunately, Akane was too busy concentrating on arriving to school on time, she did not have time to notice Ranma's unusual twitchiness. Ranma, in an attempt to forget the feeling, watch his fiancee run. *She's gotten faster.* he thought. Still not as fast as he was, but possibly faster than Ukyo and Shampoo. *Good,* he mentally smirked as he began putting his concentration back into their sprint to beat the clock. A twist in his stomach persisted to reminded him of the foreboding feeling as he ran. Frowning with determination, he mentally warned the world. *Nothin's touching her without gettin' through me first!*  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The school drifted on like any other except for one unusual fact- no one was allowed near Akane. Ranma made sure of that. Despite the possibility of one of their classmates attacking Akane was zip to none, he couldn't afford to take any chances. *Besides, who knows if Kuno found another haunted bokken or something,* he reminded himself. Ranma was not discrete about his over-protectiveness. Everyone, especially Akane, took note of his possessive behavior. She tried to ignore her fiancee's ridiculous manners, but by lunch her limits had been pushed.  
  
"Ranma! What is your problem? Honestly! A girl can't have an ordinary day of school with you here!" Akane yelled, enraged and annoyed. Ranma had been caught off guard, his expression showing a mixed of hurt, confusion, and frustration. Unable to come up with a satisfactory answer that wouldn't upset or worry Akane, he shoved his foot in his mouth instead.  
  
"What in the world do you mean, you uncute tomboy?" he snapped back, his voice was harsh, revealing no teasing tone. Akane was taken aback, his voice stinging a reopened wound of uncertainty. She reacted in the only way she knew how.  
  
"RANMA NO BAKA!!" she screamed as she pulled out her mallet, which was collecting dust from the lack of use since their return from China. Before she could send him into the middle of the next year (which, with her new strength and enraged state, the possibilities were good), Ranma took her wrist to evade the blow. Stunned by the unusual block, Akane dropped the mallet. She stared in disbelief at him as he sighed.  
  
"Akane, send me into orbit any other day, just not today. I can't . that is.. I mean. Damn!" Ranma became irritated as he struggled with his words. He couldn't let Akane send him flying miles away, leaving her unprotected. Akane watched as Ranma continues to curse himself for his inability to talk.  
  
"Ranma?" Akane, who had allowed her mallet to disappear again, gazed at him full of concern. Recalling their conversation the night before, she came to a realization. "Ranma, its that bad feeling you told me about, isn't it?" she asked cautiously. Ranma rarely acted seriously so it was evident that whatever was bothering him was nothing little. Looking at his fiancee, Ranma hesitated a little before finally replying.  
  
"Yeah. It jus' won't go away. Actually, it's gotten worse today." his voice trailed off like it had the day before as he looked down. Seeing how troubled he was, Akane bit back the protest that she was capable of protecting herself. She knew it'd make matters worse, and besides, he'd never listen. *But why is he so worried about me? Is. is he really worried about me? No, of course not. He made it clear three months ago he had no feelings for me.* Akane forced the thoughts out of her head. *This is no time to think about that,* she mentally kicked herself. Unable to think of a way to comfort him, she apologized instead.  
  
"I. I'm sorry for blowing up on you. But." Akane swallowed the insistence that she didn't need his protection. Remembering their crystal- fragile relationship, she decided the humor him. She ignored her ego, beliefs, and dignity as she looked at him. "Ranma, if it makes you feel better, I. I won't lea.leave your side. That way you can prote. protect me," Akane suggested smiling, swallowing hard on her pride. Ranma's heart began to speed up as he finally smiled, though it didn't quite reach his worrisome blue-gray eyes.  
  
"Thanks Akane. That. that means a lot," he replied, feeling his cheeks burn fire-engine red. He chuckled when he realized that this had been the first time he had stopped Akane from malleting him. They sat together at lunch, eating in silence.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ranma watched as Akane slept soundly. Although nothing out of the ordinary happened and Akane was safely tucked into her bed, Ranma had to double check on her before he retired to his room. The nightmare of losing her had been too frightening for him; he couldn't let it become reality. As he watched her sleep, Ranma yawned with drowsiness, as if an indication of the late hour. Getting up, he took one last look at his finacee, smiling to himself, before he headed out to his room.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" A scream echoed throughout the Tendo's residence, waking its inhabitants. Ranma instinctively jumped towards Akane's room. He busted into her room just in time to see four men dressed in black jump out onto the roof.  
  
"RANMA!" Akane called out as she saw him barge into her destructed room.  
  
"AKANE!!" Ranma screamed as leapt for the window. As he chased the men on the roof, three of the men turned to fight him off while the one holding the punching-screaming-kicking-hitting Akane struggled to run. Finally, the abductor put a piece of cloth over her mouth and nose, causing her to fall asleep. Seeing the man get away with the unconscious Akane, Ranma become enraged as he began to attack the three other men. Not intending to fight due to their limited time, they threw a powdery matter at him. In his enraged state, Ranma did not have the reflex to avoid the powder and within seconds, he fell into unconsciousness, his last word before blanketed by nothingness whispered into the night~ Akane.  
  
A/N: Sorry, this is shorter, but I'll update soon! Promise! ^ ^  
~Chibimelie 


	4. Chapter 4

~ Thank you to everyone for the reviews!!!! They do help me! Thank you thank you thank you!!! Ok.. On to the story! (oh, and obviously I don't own any of the ranma characters!)  
  
"Your majesty, I think she's beginning to awaken," an unfamiliar voice was muffled by nothingness.  
  
Questions began spinning through her mind as she slowly surfaced to consciousness. *Where am I? What happened?  
  
Who did the voice belong to?* She slowly blinked away the sleep as she tried to move. Her body felt weak and her  
  
head pounded with confusion. The events from the night before slowly came pouring back to her mind. *Ranma.* she  
  
thought as she opened her eyes.  
  
"So, you're finally awake," said a deep voice greeted gently. Akane looked at the source of the voice. Toru  
  
stood over her, smiling down as his snow white hair flowed around his shoulders. " I am Prince Toru," he introduced  
  
himself. "And welcome home, my dear." Akane sprang up into a sitting position with a bewildered expression plastered  
  
onto her face.  
  
"Who are you? Where am I? What do you want from me?" she demanded, clenching her fists as she subtly  
  
prepared for combat. Despite her hostile greeting, Toru continued to smile.  
  
"Like I have told you, I am Prince Toru, the ruler of this kingdom, the Kuwonja Kingdom. You, Lady  
  
Akane, are the Chosen One, the prophesized co-ruler of this kingdom and future wife of mine. You will allow our  
  
kingdom to finally be able to revive its ancient powers and reclaim universal sovereignty," he answered proudly. Her  
  
mind began to whirl with denial. *The chosen one? Co-ruler? Prophesy? Future wife? Isn't this supposed to happen to  
  
Ranma? This must be a nightmare. A nightmare. That's all. A nightmare* Her head snapped up as she expressed an  
  
emotion she was most familiar with.  
  
"You've got to be kidding me! A prince? The chosen one? Honestly, if your going to go around kidnapping  
  
people in the middle of the night, you should make up a more plausible excu- " Her argument drifted off when she saw  
  
Toru's hand move towards her head. Before she could slap it away, she felt a warm sensation form as he gently  
  
touched the middle of her forehead. After a moment, he withdrew his hand and reached for a mirror. He held up the  
  
mirror up to where she could see a strange symbol in the middle of her forehead as golden light pulsated from it.  
  
Stunned, Akane could only stare and gently rub the symbol. Pleased with the results of his experiment, Toru took off a  
  
thick, gold chain that had hung around his neck. On the chain hung a large medallion-like pendant that bore the same  
  
symbol as Akane's forehead. He placed the medallion into Akane's hand.  
  
"This pendant shows the Kuwonja Kingdom's crest. As you can see, you have one just like it on your  
  
forehead. That should be all the evidence I need to present to you the truth in my words," Toru finished with a smile.  
  
"Prince Toru! You seemed to have chosen the correct maiden! She is the chosen one!" exclaimed the  
  
forgotten servant, Miiye. Akane continued to stare in disbelief into the mirror, still carefully caressing the crest. Soon  
  
the pulsating symbol vanished, leaving her still in shock.  
  
"Shall we begin your training?" suggested Toru. The words seemed barely audible to Akane as she slowly  
  
registered the newly discovered information. She became dizzy with confusion and disbelief. Soon, she transformed  
  
her emotions back into the one she could easily deal with. Infuriated, Akane turned to Toru and glared.  
  
"Look! I don't care if I am this stupid chosen one or whatever, I am not marryin-. training?" she cut her self  
  
off with the realization of his last request. Toru chuckled.  
  
"Why yes! After all, you do want to tap into your true talent! Let us start now." Curiosity took the best of  
  
Akane as she agreed. "Get dressed and meet me downstairs," Toru commanded. he thought silently as he left Akane alone in her new room.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Great-grandmother? Is Airen alright?"  
  
"He'll be fine, my child. He seems to be waking up now." Ranma began to stir at the sound of voices.  
  
Slowly, he opened his eyes only to be confronted with two of the three people he had wished to never see, but  
  
unfortunately, he felt too dizzy to react. Suddenly, the episode of the night before came flooding back. After the painful  
  
realization of his kidnapped fiancée, Ranma immediately jumped at the short elder.  
  
"Akane! Where's Akane? Where is she, you old ghoul?" he demanded from Cologne.  
  
"Sit down or you won't have any strength left!" commanded the old Amazon. Glaring at her, Ranma  
  
reluctantly sat.  
  
"Where. Is. Akane?" Ranma said coolly, punctuating every word as he attempted to control his anger, gritting  
  
the question through his teeth.  
  
"I don't know. Xiam Pu found you unconscious on the ground while running an early-morning errand for  
  
me, but she didn't see anyone else around. What happened, Son-in-law?" Ranma glared at her again.  
  
"Dontcha ever call me that again," he hissed threateningly. Cologne's Amazon pride compelled her to open  
  
her mouth in argument, but thought better of it, knowing it'll only anger the boy.  
  
"Fine, Ranma. What happened?" the old woman repeated her question, annoyed. The young martial artist  
  
looked away from the Amazon, staring off into space.  
  
"I.I had this bad feeling for a couple of days. It was like a gut feeling, like a warning that somethin' bad  
  
was gonna happen. I tried to protect her. I tried to make sure nothin' touch Akane. but." Ranma stopped, trying to  
  
keeping in the tears that were threatening to pour out. *Men don't cry. Stop! Don't cry!* he ordered himself. He had  
  
tried to protect her, but he couldn't. He didn't. Not when it mattered. *Baka!* he mentally kicked himself for letting his  
  
guard down, for thinking she was safe.  
  
"Ranma," insisted Cologne. Ranma regained composure and continued.  
  
"Last night I heard Akane scream soon after I went to bed. I ran as fast as I could, but they had already gotten  
  
her."  
  
"Who got her?" inquired the old woman. Ranma waited a little before continuing, allowing himself enough  
  
time to find his center, where he could ignore his raging emotions.  
  
"Four men dressed in black. I ran after them, but the one holdin' Akane ran off while the other three stayed  
  
behind to distract me. Before I could beat tha crap out ov'em, they threw some kind of powder at me. And that's all I  
  
can remember," Ranma finished. As he did, the look on Akane's face, her scream, her desperate cry of his name  
  
wrenched the pig-tailed boy out of his emotionless center. He began to tremble with anger, frustration, self-loathing,  
  
and desperation. He failed to protect her, to save her. He came too late to help her. He failed her when she needed him  
  
the most. *And now she's gone.* his thoughts torturously reminded him. His ghastly nightmare was becoming real,  
  
tormenting him, haunting him in his conscious reality.  
  
Cologne watched the young man struggle under his crushing, agonizing suffering with sympathy. She had  
  
always known that Ranma had cared for the Tendo girl even before Xiam Pu arrived on the scene, though she never  
  
wanted to admit it. For her, her great-granddaughter's success in marrying the man that had defeated her seemed much  
  
more important. Saffron had smack reality back in her mind, though, when she saw Ranma go through the same sort of  
  
pain he was now experiencing when he had thought his fiancée had died. The elder Amazon then knew his love for the  
  
girl was much too strong to break. Understanding the anguish of heartbreaks, Cologne resolved to help the boy help  
  
find her great-granddaughter's ex-rival. Xiam Pu would insist on aiding the boy, anyway, out of guilt and concern.  
  
"Ranma, hold still a moment," the elder instructed as she dusted off his clothes, allowing some powdery  
  
substance to fall onto a piece of paper she held next to Ranma's body. Taking the piece of paper, she sat herself down  
  
to observe the substance. After a moment of carefully examining it, taking only a tiny bit into her hands as to not  
  
render herself unconscious, she turned back to Ranma, who was glaring with intense anger into space. "Ranma," the  
  
Amazon called, causing him to snap his head towards her. "This powder may help us locate Akane. Its not from China,  
  
nor Japan, at least not modern Japan. I have my suspicions, but I must do some tests to be sure." As she explained this,  
  
she took out a small vile which contained some sort of liquid. She then signaled for Ranma, then Shampoo, who had  
  
been standing in a corner, out of sight of Ranma, to approach as she collected to powder into one small pile. Cologne  
  
uncapped the vile and allowed one drop of the liquid to fall onto the powder. Stirring the mixture, she added two more  
  
drops of the solution to the powder. Slowly, tiny slices of light pierced through the concoction. Suddenly, the tiny  
  
slices burst into a bright, gold light as it illuminated the room, engulfing everyone. The light vanished as quickly as it  
  
had appeared, leaving a dull, pulsating glow from the powder. The light shaped into a sun-like outline with the word  
  
"Savior" written in the center in Japanese.  
  
"It is as I had suspected. This is the symbol for the Kuwonja Dynasty, an ancient kingdom that I thought had  
  
disappeared centuries ago, but apparently they have returned," Cologne stated grimly.  
  
"What did they take Akane? Who are they? Where is she? What do they want with her?" Ranma impatiently  
  
demanded, noting the grim tone in her voice.  
  
"Son-in.. Ranma, go get some rest. I have some research to do. Stay here until I can find some answers.  
  
Shampoo will take you to a spare room. And don't worry about calling the Tendos. They already know you're here,"  
  
commanded the old woman. Ranma hesitated out of distrust in the Amazons. After concluding there was no other way  
  
to rescue Akane, he surrendered.  
  
"Fine. But you better be quick, old ghoul. I'm in no mood to be patient with you, " the young martial artist  
  
hissed.  
  
"Xian Pu, take Ranma to the unused room, then return here. We must find out why they have returned and  
  
what they want with Akane," Cologne instructed as she began to open some old books, "before its too late." she  
  
added under her breath. Shampoo reluctantly agreed to her great- grandmother's demands. She hesitantly looked up at  
  
Ranma, then quickly tore her gaze away, unable to look him in the eyes.  
  
"Come Air. Ranma," Shampoo said barely audibly. Ranma got up and followed with some disgust. The  
  
young Amazon led the boy to a small, vacant room with only a bed occupying the space next to a window. "Here  
  
Ranma stay. Xian Pu help Great-grandmother get violent. get Akane back," Shampoo quietly muttered before tuning  
  
to leave. Ranma sat facing the window , staring out into nothingness. A twinge of guilt rose as he saw a glimpse of  
  
Shampoo's sullen expression in the reflection of the glass pane.  
  
*After all* his kinder side reminded him, *she does seem to be helping to find Akane.* Ranma sternly called  
  
her name just as she was closing the bedroom door. The young Amazon halted tensely, too afraid to face the pig-tailed  
  
male.  
  
"Are ya sorry, I mean truly sorry, about," Ranma paused as the painfully memories of the failed wedding  
  
flashed in his mind. "About the wedding? Didja really mean it when ya apologized? Really, truly mean it with no tricks  
  
or nothin' like that?" He finished as he continued to stare of the small window, mindlessly watching random people  
  
passing by on the street. Shampoo looked at him curiously then guiltily stared down at her hands.  
  
"Yes. Shampoo think a lot about aire. the wedding and realize what Shampoo did is dishonorable thing.  
  
Shampoo is very sorry to Ranma and Akane," the girl quietly replied.  
  
Ranma, worn from his misadventures, only nodded. The young Chinese Amazon graciously understood and  
  
left, closing the door behind her.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Dressed in a black silk gi given to her for training, Akane stood in the middle of the spacious gym, preparing  
  
herself for battle. Miiye, her opponent, bowed before taking position.  
  
"Ready, Lady Akane?" he asked. Akane signaled with a nod.  
  
'Ready as I'll ever be' she thought.  
  
A/N~ ok! A little warning.... I may take a little while updating again.... Only b/c of editing and also school! Sooooo.. Hopefully I'll be able to update soon, but if not, please be understanding! And, btw~ the reviews really do help keeping me motivated, so it might help in getting updates quicker! Ok! Thank you everyone! Much lub! ~chibimelie 


	5. Chapter 5

Hello everyone! First I'd like to say thank you for your patience with the continuing of this story. I had hoped it wouldn't have taken so long to update, but I'll try to be faster with the next chapter! Thank you everyone who reviewed! That helped me a lot in getting motivated in continuing the story! Ok! On to the story! ~chibimelie ^_^  
  
Evening had set in as the sky began to blush pink. After hearing Ranma's retelling of the events of the night  
  
before, the Saotomes and the Tendos sat patiently around the dining table in the living room as they expectantly waited  
  
for an explanation from the old Amazon as to Akane's whereabouts.  
  
"Obviously, based on Ranma's account of last night's incident, Akane was kidnapped. By analyzing and  
  
using the powder that I brushed off Ranma, I did some research. Akane was kidnapped by the servants of the ancient  
  
kingdom of Kuwonja," Cologne paused to take a breath. "I had thought that the dynasty no longer existed, but  
  
apparently they have returned. According to the ancient scrolls, Queen Suki, the ruler of the empire, had an enormous  
  
amount of powers. She and her king possessed sovereignty over the universe and ruled with a kind heart. She died at a  
  
young age giving birth to their son, who grew up to be power-obsessed and cold. Because the king feared that his on  
  
would ultimately cause much suffering to the inhabitants in the universe, he locked away the dynasty's powers under a  
  
prophesy. According to the prophesy, Queen Suki would return with her king and once again rule the universe.  
  
Though the source of the queen's powers is unknown, if it is released, it may lead to the beginning of a dominated  
  
universe," the old woman finished. A long silence occupied the room while everyone slowly soaked the information in.  
  
Ranma interrupted the stillness.  
  
"So what does that have to do with Akane?" he asked impatiently. Cologne turned to the young martial artist.  
  
"I figured it would be you to ask that question," she chuckled as she pulled out an old scroll, a rusted yellow  
  
color from age. "Look at this picture. It is an ancient portrait of the Queen Suki before her premature death," the elder  
  
pointed out a portrait after she unraveled the scroll. The picture revealed an enchanting young woman admiring a  
  
beautifully portrayed cherry blossom tree as coral pink petals snowed down around her. Ranma's heart stopped as he  
  
recognized the young woman in the painting. Her alluring chocolate brown eyes and her sweet smile were the same he  
  
loved and admired. Her long, raven-black hair took him back to a time before her hair was axed by Ryouga's razor-like  
  
bandana. The painting was a snapshot of Akane with long hair. His face clearly printed his inner reaction.. Cologne  
  
took notice. "Evidently, Akane is the chosen one," she announced  
  
Again, quiet enveloped the room. Nabiki was the first to recover from shock. "So, what does that mean?" she  
  
asked, her business-like thinly masking her real emotions. Detecting the concern from the normally cold young woman,  
  
Cologne turned to the middle child of Soun. Unable to find the words to subtly comfort the girl, Cologne answered  
  
truthfully.  
  
"It means they will try to get her to tap into her own powers, the same fearsome powers the queen had. They  
  
will marry her to the chosen king. Once united, the Kuwonja dynasty will be unstoppable."  
  
"She ain't marryin nobody!" Ranma jumped up, fists clenched with anger. "We're going to find her and bring  
  
her back here!" He began to breath fiercely with rage.  
  
"Ranma, if they somehow overpower Akane, we'll have to face powerful forces. We'll need as much help as  
  
possible. I'll help you. We can't have the universe ruled over by anyone," the old Amazon said reassuringly.  
  
"Shampoo help too," Shampoo, who had been watching her former fiancé carefully, volunteered.  
  
After listening from the outside, Mousse jumped at the opportunity. "I'll help save Akane as well," Mousse  
  
spoke up. "After all, I must make sure my Shampoo is safe."  
  
P-chan, who had scurried away minutes ago after hearing the news about Akane, reappeared. "I'll rescue  
  
Akane. Don't worry about anything Mr. Tendo!" Ryouga insisted, showing his enthusiasm about rescuing his beloved.  
  
Ranma smiled weakly in gratitude then climbed to his feet in new determination.  
  
"Let's go then."  
  
"Son, I'm counting on you to save my dear Akane!" wailed Soun as Genma and Kasumi tried to reassure  
  
him. After no luck, the older Saotome turned to his son.  
  
"My boy, make me proud. Go and save your fiance. The fate of the school depends on it!"  
  
"Patience Ranma. I said we need all the help we can get and I meant it," Cologne repeated. Hearing the old  
  
ghoul's words, Genma and Soun started to sneak away. Seeing the two tip-toe away, the Amazon shouted with disgust.  
  
"Not you two, you idiots! Both of you would only get in the way!"Turning to Ranma, the old woman continued. "  
  
Someone else will be joining us. Ranma, I hope you can forgive me, but we need anyone skilled enough to accompany  
  
us." The pig-tailed boy stared at the elder slightly confused in the door frame.  
  
"Uh..... Hi Ranch-....I mean, Ranma," Ukyo's voice peeped meekly as she came up beside  
  
Ryouga.  
  
"Ukyo?" Ranma blurted out as Ukyo turned her head down in embarrassment. Thoughts of Akane returned to  
  
mind and he softened his tensed face. " You meant your apologies, right?" he asked with hope. The chef, head still  
  
tilted downward, only nodded. " Then its settled. We need anyone willin' to help," he reassured her. "And don't worry  
  
about facin' Akane. She forgave you a long time ago." Ranma's pained expression returned to his eyes at the mention  
  
of his fiance's name as his voice lost its strength at the last words. After taking a deep breath, maintaining control over  
  
his wildly running emotions, he faced the old woman. "Are we ready now, old ghoul?" he asked Cologne, halfheartedly  
  
smirking.  
  
"Let us go. I have a map of the ancient location of the dynasty's kingdom. For tradition's sake, the Kuwonja  
  
empire should be located there." 


End file.
